Issue 1, 2021

A naphthalene diimide side-chain polymer as an electron-extraction layer for stable perovskite solar cells

Abstract

Poly(N-(5-(5-norbornene-2-carbonyl)oxy)pentyl)-N′-n-hexyl-naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) has been synthesized by esterification of (N-(5-hydroxypentyl)-N′-n-hexyl-naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide)) with exo-5-norbornene-2-carboxylic acid, and has been polymerized using the first-generation Grubbs initiator. This side-chain polymer exhibits good transparency throughout the visible (absorption onset at ca. 400 nm), good solubility in common low- and medium-polarity organic solvents, good resistance to dimethylformamide, and appropriate electron affinity for use as an electron-extraction layer in lead-halide perovskite solar cells. The performance of this polymer in n-i-p perovskite solar cells was compared to that of several small-molecule naphthalene-1,8:4,5-bis(dicarboximide) derivatives and of SnO2. Solar cells using the polymer exhibited open-circuit voltages of up to 1.02 V, short-circuit currents of over 21 mA cm−2, and power conversion efficiencies (PCE) reaching 14% which stabilize at 13.8% upon 90 s of illumination. Meanwhile control SnO2 devices exhibited a PCE of ca. 16%, and small-molecule devices gave PCE values of less than 10%. The devices employing the polymer exhibited improved long-term stability relative to the SnO2 control devices under continuous illumination.

Graphical abstract: A naphthalene diimide side-chain polymer as an electron-extraction layer for stable perovskite solar cells

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Research Article
Submitted
09 Sep 2020
Accepted
27 Oct 2020
First published
05 Nov 2020

Mater. Chem. Front., 2021,5, 450-457

Author version available

A naphthalene diimide side-chain polymer as an electron-extraction layer for stable perovskite solar cells

K. Al Kurdi, D. P. McCarthy, D. P. McMeekin, S. O. Furer, M. Tremblay, S. Barlow, U. Bach and S. R. Marder, Mater. Chem. Front., 2021, 5, 450 DOI: 10.1039/D0QM00685H

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